The discussion between J. Allan Hobson and Michael Schredl covers a broad variety of topics that are still“hot” in dream research. The starting point is the continuity hypothesis of dreaming which is complemented by AllanHobson’s theory of protoconsciousness. Whereas there is no disagreement that waking life is reflected in dreams, thediscussion evolves around discontinuity, i.e., how dream activities are explained that the dreamer never experienced inhis/her waking life, and possible functions of dreaming. These functions might include preparation for waking life or personalgrowth. The aim of this paper is to stimulate a discussion among the researchers in the field on these topics whichare of fundamental importance for neurophysiological and psychological dream research.
Neurobiologists and cognitive scientists are engaged in new efforts to establish the brain basis of consciousness. Progress in brain imaging and in quantitative EEG recording in humans and in unit recording in animals have all contributed to this progress. But progress has been limited by the relative poverty of the paradigms used in these studies, many of which do not take subjective experience into account. One promising, but problematical paradigm, lucid dreaming, has recently been employed with encouraging and complimentary if preliminary results. It is the purpose of this paper to consider the pros and cons of this approach and to interpret the results of the new findings.